People look at food labels for different reasons.
But whatever the reason, many consumers would like to
know how to use this information more effectively and
easily. The following label-building skills are
intended to make it easier for you to use nutrition
labels to make quick, informed food choices that
contribute to a healthy diet.

The Nutrition Facts Label -
An Overview:

The information in the main or top section (see #1-4
and #6 on the sample nutrition label below), can vary
with each food product; it contains product-specific
information (serving size, calories, and nutrient
information). The bottom part (see #5 on the sample
label below) contains a footnote with Daily Values
(DVs) for 2,000 and 2,500 calorie diets. This footnote
provides recommended dietary information for important
nutrients, including fats, sodium and fiber. The
footnote is found only on larger packages and does not
change from product to product.

In the following Nutrition Facts label we have
colored certain sections to help you focus on those
areas that will be explained in detail. You will not
see these colors on the food labels on products you
purchase.

The Serving Size

(#1 on sample label):
The first place to start when you look at the Nutrition
Facts label is the serving size and the number of
servings in the package. Serving sizes are standardized
to make it easier to compare similar foods; they are
provided in familiar units, such as cups or pieces,
followed by the metric amount, e.g., the number of
grams.

The size of the serving on the food package
influences the number of calories and all the nutrient
amounts listed on the top part of the label. Pay
attention to the serving size, especially how many
servings there are in the food package. Then ask
yourself, "How many servings am I consuming"? (e.g.,
1/2 serving, 1 serving, or more) In the sample
label, one serving of macaroni and cheese equals one
cup. If you ate the whole package, you would eat
two cups. That doubles the calories and other
nutrient numbers, including the %Daily Values as shown
in the sample label.

Example

Single Serving

%DV

Double
Serving

%DV

Serving Size

1 cup
(228g)

2 cups
(456g)

Calories

250

500

Calories from Fat

110

220

Total Fat

12g

18%

24g

36%

Trans Fat

1.5g

3g

Saturated Fat

3g

15%

6g

30%

Cholesterol

30mg

10%

60mg

20%

Sodium

470mg

20%

940mg

40%

Total Carbohydrate

31g

10%

62g

20%

Dietary Fiber

0g

0%

0g

0%

Sugars

5g

10g

Protein

5g

10g

Vitamin A

4%

8%

Vitamin C

2%

4%

Calcium

20%

40%

Iron

4%

8%

Calories (and Calories from Fat)

Calories provide a measure of how much energy you
get from a serving of this food. Many Americans consume
more calories than they need without meeting
recommended intakes for a number of nutrients. The
calorie section of the label can help you manage your
weight (i.e., gain, lose, or maintain.) Remember:
the number of servings you consume determines the
number of calories you actually eat (your portion
amount).

(#2 on sample label):
In the example, there are 250 calories in one serving
of this macaroni and cheese. How many calories from fat
are there in ONE serving? Answer: 110 calories, which
means almost half the calories in a single serving come
from fat. What if you ate the whole package content?
Then, you would consume two servings, or 500 calories,
and 220 would come from fat.

General Guide to Calories

40 Calories is low

100 Calories is moderate

400 Calories or more is high

The General Guide to Calories provides a
general reference for calories when you look at a
Nutrition Facts label. This guide is based on a 2,000
calorie diet.

Eating too many calories per day is linked to
overweight and obesity.

The Nutrients: How Much?

(#3 and 4 on sample label):
Look at the top of the nutrient section in the sample
label. It shows you some key nutrients that impact on
your health and separates them into two main
groups:

Limit These
Nutrients

(#3 on sample label):
The nutrients listed first are the ones Americans
generally eat in adequate amounts, or even too much.
They are identified in yellow as Limit these
Nutrients. Eating too much fat, saturated fat,
trans fat, cholesterol, or sodium may increase
your risk of certain chronic diseases, like heart
disease, some cancers, or high blood pressure.

Important: Health experts recommend that you keep
your intake of saturated fat, trans fat and
cholesterol as low as possible as part of a
nutritionally balanced diet.

Get Enough of
These

(#4 on sample label):
Most Americans don't get enough dietary fiber, vitamin
A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron in their diets. They
are identified in blue as Get Enough of these
Nutrients. Eating enough of these nutrients can
improve your health and help reduce the risk of some
diseases and conditions. For example, getting enough
calcium may reduce the risk of osteoporosis, a
condition that results in brittle bones as one ages
(see calcium
section below). Eating a diet high in dietary fiber
promotes healthy bowel function. Additionally, a diet
rich in fruits, vegetables, and grain products that
contain dietary fiber, particularly soluble fiber, and
low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the
risk of heart disease.

Remember: You can use the
Nutrition Facts label not only to help limit
those nutrients you want to cut back on but also to
increase those nutrients you need to consume in
greater amounts.

Understanding the Footnote on the
Bottom of the Nutrition Facts Label

(#5 on sample label)
Note the * used after the heading "%Daily Value"
on the Nutrition Facts label. It refers to the Footnote
in the lower part of the nutrition label, which tells
you "%DVs are based on a 2,000 calorie diet".
This statement must be on all food labels. But the
remaining information in the full footnote may not be
on the package if the size of the label is too small.
When the full footnote does appear, it will always be
the same. It doesn't change from product to product,
because it shows recommended dietary advice for all
Americans--it is not about a specific food product.

Look at the amounts circled in red in the
footnote--these are the Daily Values (DV) for each
nutrient listed and are based on public health experts'
advice. DVs are recommended levels of intakes. DVs in
the footnote are based on a 2,000 or 2,500 calorie
diet. Note how the DVs for some nutrients change, while
others (for cholesterol and sodium) remain the same for
both calorie amounts.

How the Daily Values Relate to
the %DVs

Look at the example below for another way to see how
the Daily Values (DVs) relate to the %DVs and dietary
guidance. For each nutrient listed there is a DV, a
%DV, and dietary advice or a goal. If you follow this
dietary advice, you will stay within public health
experts' recommended upper or lower limits for the
nutrients listed, based on a 2,000 calorie daily
diet.

Examples of DVs versus %DVsBased on a 2,000 Calorie Diet

Nutrient

DV

%DV

Goal

Total Fat

65g

= 100%DV

Less than

Sat
Fat

20g

= 100%DV

Less than

Cholesterol

300mg

= 100%DV

Less than

Sodium

2400mg

= 100%DV

Less than

Total Carbohydrate

300g

= 100%DV

At least

Dietary Fiber

25g

= 100%DV

At least

Upper Limit - Eat "Less than"...

The nutrients that have "upper daily limits" are
listed first on the footnote of larger labels and on
the example above. Upper limits means it is recommended
that you stay below - eat "less than" - the Daily Value
nutrient amounts listed per day. For example, the DV
for Saturated fat (in the yellow section) is 20g. This
amount is 100% DV for this nutrient. What is the goal
or dietary advice? To eat "less than" 20 g or 100%DV
for the day.<

Lower Limit - Eat "At least"...

Now look at the section in blue where dietary fiber
is listed. The DV for dietary fiber is 25g, which is
100% DV. This means it is recommended that you eat "at
least" this amount of dietary fiber per day.

The DV for Total Carbohydrate (section in white) is
300g or 100%DV. This amount is recommended for a
balanced daily diet that is based on 2,000 calories,
but can vary, depending on your daily intake of fat and
protein.

Now let's look at the %DVs.

The Percent Daily Value (%DV):

The % Daily Values (%DVs) are based on the Daily
Value recommendations for key nutrients but only for a
2,000 calorie daily diet--not 2,500 calories. You, like
most people, may not know how many calories you consume
in a day. But you can still use the %DV as a frame of
reference whether or not you consume more or less than
2,000 calories.

The %DV helps you determine if a serving of food is
high or low in a nutrient. Note: a few nutrients, like
trans fat, do not have a %DV--they will be
discussed later.

Do you need to know how to calculate percentages to
use the %DV? No, the label (the %DV) does the math for
you. It helps you interpret the numbers (grams and
milligrams) by putting them all on the same scale for
the day (0-100%DV). The %DV column doesn't add up
vertically to 100%. Instead each nutrient is based on
100% of the daily requirements for that nutrient (for a
2,000 calorie diet). This way you can tell high from
low and know which nutrients contribute a lot, or a
little, to your daily recommended
allowance (upper or lower).

Quick Guide to %DV:

5%DV or
less is low and 20%DV or more is high(#6
on sample label):
This guide tells you that 5%DV or less is low
for all nutrients, those you want to limit (e.g., fat,
saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium), or for those
that you want to consume in greater amounts (fiber,
calcium, etc). As the QuickGuide shows,
20%DV or more is high for all nutrients.

Example: Look at the amount of Total Fat
in one serving listed on the sample nutrition
label. Is 18%DV contributing a lot or a little to
your fat limit of 100% DV? Check the Quick Guide
to %DV. 18%DV, which is below 20%DV, is not yet
high, but what if you ate the whole package (two
servings)? You would double that amount, eating 36%
of your daily allowance for Total Fat. Coming from
just one food, that amount leaves you with 64% of
your fat allowance (100%-36%=64%) for all of
the other foods you eat that day, snacks and drinks
included.

1 serving

2 servings

Using the %DV for:

Comparisons: The %DV also makes
it easy for you to make comparisons. You can compare
one product or brand to a similar product. Just make
sure the serving sizes are similar, especially the
weight (e.g. gram, milligram, ounces) of each product.
It's easy to see which foods are higher or lower in
nutrients because the serving sizes are generally
consistent for similar types of foods, (see the
comparison
example at the end) except in a few
cases like cereals.

Nutrient Content Claims: Use
the %DV to help you quickly distinguish one claim from
another, such as "reduced fat" vs. "light" or "nonfat."
Just compare the %DVs for Total Fat in each food
product to see which one is higher or lower in that
nutrient--there is no need to memorize
definitions. This works when comparing all nutrient
content claims, e.g., less, light, low, free, more,
high, etc.

Dietary Trade-Offs: You can
use the %DV to help you make dietary trade-offs
with other foods throughout the day. You don't have to
give up a favorite food to eat a healthy diet. When a
food you like is high in fat, balance it with foods
that are low in fat at other times of the day. Also,
pay attention to how much you eat so that the
total amount of fat for the day stays below
100%DV.

Nutrients With a %DV
but No Weight Listed - Spotlight on Calcium:

Calcium: Look at the %DV for calcium on food
packages so you know how much one serving
contributes to the total amount you need
per day. Remember, a food with 20%DV or more
contributes a lot of calcium to your daily total,
while one with 5%DV or less contributes a
little.

Experts advise adult consumers to consume adequate
amounts of calcium, that is, 1,000mg or 100%DV in a
daily 2,000 calorie diet. This advice is often given in
milligrams (mg), but the Nutrition Facts label
only lists a %DV for calcium.

For certain populations, they advise that
adolescents, especially girls, consume 1,300mg
(130%DV) and post-menopausal women consume 1,200mg
(120%DV) of calcium daily. The DV for calcium on
food labels is 1,000mg.

Don't be fooled -- always check the label
for calcium because you can't make assumptions
about the amount of calcium in specific food
categories. Example: the amount of calcium in milk,
whether skim or whole, is generally the same per
serving, whereas the amount of calcium in the same
size yogurt container (8oz) can vary from 20-45
%DV.

Equivalencies

30% DV = 300mg calcium = one cup of
milk

100% DV = 1,000mg calcium

130% DV = 1,300mg calcium

Nutrients
Without a %DV: Trans Fats, Protein, and
Sugars:

Note that Trans fat, Sugars and, Protein do
not list a %DV on the Nutrition Facts label.

Plain Yogurt

Fruit Yogurt

Trans Fat: Experts
could not provide a reference value for trans
fat nor any other information that FDA believes is
sufficient to establish a Daily Value or %DV.
Scientific reports link trans fat (and saturated
fat) with raising blood LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels,
both of which increase your risk of coronary heart
disease, a leading cause of death in the US.

Important: Health experts recommend that you keep
your intake of saturated fat, trans fat and
cholesterol as low as possible as part of a
nutritionally balanced diet.

Protein: A %DV is required
to be listed if a claim is made for protein, such as
"high in protein". Otherwise, unless the food is meant
for use by infants and children under 4 years old, none
is needed. Current scientific evidence indicates that
protein intake is not a public health concern for
adults and children over 4 years of age.

Sugars: No daily reference
value has been established for sugars because no
recommendations have been made for the total amount to
eat in a day. Keep in mind, the sugars listed on the
Nutrition Facts label include naturally occurring
sugars (like those in fruit and milk) as well as those
added to a food or drink. Check the ingredient list for
specifics on added sugars.

Take a look at the Nutrition Facts label for the
two yogurt examples. The plain yogurt on the left
has 10g of sugars, while the fruit yogurt on the
right has 44g of sugars in one serving.

Now look below at the ingredient lists for the
two yogurts. Ingredients are listed in descending
order of weight (from most to least). Note that no
added sugars or sweeteners are in the list of
ingredients for the plain yogurt, yet 10g of sugars
were listed on the Nutrition Facts label. This is
because there are no added sugars in plain yogurt,
only naturally occurring sugars (lactose in the
milk).

If you are concerned about your intake of sugars,
make sure that added sugars are not listed as one of
the first few ingredients. Other names for added sugars
include: corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit
juice concentrate, maltose, dextrose, sucrose, honey,
and maple syrup.

To limit nutrients that have no %DV, like
trans fat and sugars, compare the labels of
similar products and choose the food with the lowest
amount.

Comparison Example

Below are two kinds of milk- one is
"Reduced Fat," the other is "Nonfat"
milk. Each serving size is one cup.
Which has more calories and more
saturated fat? Which one has more
calcium?

REDUCED FAT MILK
2% Milkfat

NONFAT MILK

Answer:As you can see,
they both have the same amount of calcium,
but the nonfat milk has no saturated fat and has 40 calories
less per serving than the reduced fat milk.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

The FDA's organization consists of the Office of the Commissioner and four directorates overseeing the core functions of the agency: Medical Products and Tobacco, Foods, Global Regulatory Operations and Policy, and Operations.

Other articles by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA):

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